Wild Weather

[HisDaughter]

I read today that there was also an earthquake of the northern coast of Oregon this morning.  Not a very deep one but I think they reported that it was a 5 point something.

[Shammu]

Snowy Weather Causes 20-Car Pileup, Killing 2 in Arizona

Sunday , March 16, 2008

PHOENIX  —
Dozens of vehicles collided in heavy, blinding snow on a northern Arizona interstate Sunday, killing two people, seriously injuring 10 others and forcing police to close the highway for 20 miles in both directions.

The low visibility on Interstate 40 near Flagstaff caused about 20 collisions, which occurred over a stretch of highway at least 4 miles long around noon, Flagstaff Fire Department Chief Mark Wilson said.

He described the wrecks as clumps of vehicles piled on top of each other, involving cars, trucks and semis.

"The magnitude of it was pretty severe," Wilson said. "We had a whiteout scene with the snow, and obviously a single-vehicle accident caused multiple-vehicle accidents, which continued to pile up due to the low visibility."

Wilson said two people died, and 15 people had to be removed from vehicles with hydraulic equipment and hand tools.

Flagstaff Medical Center spokeswoman Starla Addair said the hospital received 53 patients, at least 10 of whom needed to be admitted for serious injuries. She said 35 patients were treated and released.

Red Cross volunteer Gene Munger said about 40 people involved in the wrecks were at a middle school shelter Sunday evening deciding whether to spend the night there on cots or find a hotel.

"They're pretty shook up right now," he said.

National Weather Service meteorologist Clair Ketchum said whiteout conditions occurred off-and-on Sunday afternoon in the Flagstaff area and could occur overnight as a storm rolls across the state.

Ketchum said 3.8 inches of snow fell by 5 p.m. Sunday near where the collisions occurred.

Snowy Weather Causes 20-Car Pileup, Killing 2 in Arizona

[nChrist]

WOW! - I thought things were COOL here at 56 degrees.

It seems a little late in the year to be having snow storms. We aren't expecting any of that right now, but who knows. Right now, we're in between thunderstorms - AND the next one is about 20 miles away We did need the rain, so we won't complain about that. We've been soaked several times, and the 50-60 mph winds make it interesting. I really think that I like our weather better than your weather. This time of the year, we usually have upper 70s and low 80s, but we haven't had a normal spring and summer in several years now. Mid-Summer is usually always triple digits, but not last year. It was unusually mild, but it at least wasn't SNOW STORMS.

I'm having a hard time concentrating because my weather alert is going crazy. It's supposed to sound when the winds get over 50. SO, I assume it's going to be a noisy night. Everyone take care. If I disappear, you'll know that the lightning got bad again.

[Shammu]

Heavy Rain, Floods Cover Central U.S.
By Betsy Taylor
Associated Press Writer
March 18, 2008

CBNNews.com - PIEDMONT, Mo. - Torrential rain chased hundreds of people from their flooded homes and deluged roads in the nation's midsection Tuesday, killing at least two people.

The storm system also grounded hundreds of flights in Texas. One control tower at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport was briefly evacuated when a funnel cloud was spotted.

The National Weather Service posted flood and flash flood warnings from Texas to Ohio, with tornado watches in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.

Heavy rain began falling Monday and just kept coming. Forecasters said some parts of Missouri could get 10 inches of rain or more before the storms finally stop Wednesday.

Gov. Matt Blunt activated the Missouri National Guard as high water closed hundreds of roads.

An estimated 200 houses and businesses were flooded in Piedmont, a town of 2,000 residents. McKenzie Creek rose well above its banks before receding, said Eric Fuchs, Wayne County Emergency Management director.

Up to 30 homes were evacuated in Winona, and some residents of Cape Girardeau were trapped in their homes, the State Emergency Management Agency said. In the town of Ellington, as many as 50 homes and half the businesses were evacuated, officials said.

The body of an 81-year-old man was found in the water at Ellington, about 120 miles southwest of St. Louis, said Missouri State Water Patrol Lt. Nicholas Humphrey. A 21-year-old state Department of Transportation worker was killed near Springfield when his dump truck was hit by a tractor-trailer rig as he helped out in a flooded area, state officials said.

Firefighters and police were sent to pull motorists out of flooded roads in and around Springfield, said Greene County Emergency Management Director Ryan Nicholls.

"It's absolutely abnormal to have this much rain and more on the way today and tonight," Nicholls said.

Scott and Marilyne Peterson and their 25-year-old son, Scott Jr., scurried out of their mobile home in rural Piedmont after watching the water rise 3 feet in five minutes. The family had just enough time to grab some essentials, a few clothes and the family dog.

"You didn't have time to worry," Scott Peterson Sr. said. "You just grab what you can and go and you're glad the people are OK."

In Arkansas, authorities searched for a West Fork man whose truck was believed to have been swept from a low-water bridge. Authorities found only the vehicle.

In northeast Arkansas, the Spring River was rising at 6 inches per hour, carrying debris that included full-grown trees.

In Oklahoma, Muskogee firefighters rescued a mother and her four children from their minivan stranded in flood waters.

At Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Texas, American Airlines canceled about 700 departures and arrivals because of wind near 70 mph and heavy rain, and more than 100 of the carrier's flights headed to that airport were diverted, said airline spokesman Tim Wagner.

Federal Aviation Administration officials evacuated the airport's west tower for about 15 minutes after seeing a funnel cloud. Another was spotted over Lake Lewisville, just north of the airport.

"This is one of the most vicious thunderstorms DFW has seen in quite some time, especially its ongoing intensity," said airport spokesman Ken Capps. "Add in two snow storms in the past two weeks and this has been one of the most unusual early spring weather patterns in years."

At Dallas Love Field, some 20 Southwest flights were canceled, 20 others were diverted and many other flights were delayed, said airline spokeswoman Ashley Rogers.

Heavy Rain, Floods Cover Central U.S.

[Soldier4Christ]

9 dead, 4 missing in central U.S. storm
Flooding forces hundreds to flee homes across wide swath

Flooding forced hundreds of people to flee their homes and closed scores of roads Wednesday across a wide swath of the nation's midsection as a huge storm system poured as much as 10 inches of rain on the region.

Four deaths were linked to the flooding in Missouri, and five people were killed in a highway wreck in heavy rain in Kentucky. Searches were under way in Texas for a teenager washed down a drainage pipe and in Missouri for a man missing in a creek, and two people were missing in Arkansas after their vehicles were swept away by rushing water.

The National Weather Service posted flood and flash flood warnings from Texas to Pennsylvania on Wednesday, and evacuations were under way in parts of Missouri, Arkansas and Ohio.

Heavy rain began falling Monday and just kept coming. Just over a foot had fallen at Mountain Home, Ark., and about 10 inches had fallen by Wednesday morning in southeast Missouri's Cape Girardeau County, where officials said street flooding marooned some residents in their homes. The weather service said 6.2 inches had fallen at Evansville, Ind.

Scott and Marilyne Peterson and their son, Scott Jr., scurried out of their home near Piedmont after seeing water rise 3 feet in five minutes. They had just enough time to grab essentials and their dog.

"You didn't have time to worry," Scott Peterson Sr. said. "You just grab what you can and go and you're glad the people are OK."

The rain in Missouri was expected to finally come to an end Wednesday as the weather system crawled toward the northeast.

An estimated 300 houses and businesses were flooded in Piedmont, a town of 2,000 residents on McKenzie Creek. Dozens of people were rescued by boat.

Outside St. Louis, the Meramec River was expected to crest 10 to 15 feet above flood stage at some spots, threatening towns like Eureka and Valley Park.

Flooding was widespread in Arkansas, washing out some highways and leading to evacuations of residents in parts of Baxter, Madison, Sharp counties, said Tommy Jackson, a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management. The Highway and Transportation Department reported state roads blocked in 16 counties.

In northeast Arkansas, the Spring River was rising at a rate of 6 inches per hour and carrying debris that included full-size trees.

Two motorists were missing in Arkansas after their vehicles were washed away by high water, authorities said.

Authorities in southwest Missouri were searching for another man reported swept away by rushing water. "He was going down the creek screaming and hollering," Lawrence County emergency management chief Mike Rowe said.

Emergency officials in Mesquite, Texas, searched for a 14-year-old boy apparently swept away as he and a friend played in a creek. The friend swam to safety, authorities said.

Up the Ohio Valley, widespread flooding was reported in parts of southwest Indiana and parts of Ohio.

"We've got water rising everywhere," said Jeff Korb, president of the Vanderbugh County, Ind., commissioners. "We've got more than 70 roads under water."

Rescuers in southern Indiana plucked a man from a tree in the Ohio River after his truck was swept away. Knight Township Fire Chief Chris Wathen said the man was conscious but showing signs of hypothermia.

"It's hard for anybody to say how long he could have survived there," Wathen said. "But I do think it was fair to say he was within minutes of losing his life."

Residents of South Lebanon, Ohio—a town of about 2,800 people—were urged to get out as the Little Miami River was expected to crest at 28 feet, 11 feet above flood stage and the third highest level since measurements began in 1889, said Frank Young, emergency management director in Warren County.

"That would put half of South Lebanon under water," Young said.

Key roads were closed in the Cincinnati area, where water 4 feet deep was reported in businesses in the suburb of Sharonwille, police said. Police contacted at least nine businesses and warned them not to open Wednesday. Northeast of Cincinnati, two members of a cross-country team had to be rescued from a rain-swollen creek after falling in.

The Ohio River at Cincinnati was expected to rise about 2 feet above flood stage by Friday, flooding some neighborhoods outside the city.

Missouri state officials said three people died there, including one man whose car was swept 600 feet down a flooded stream. The Southeast Missourian newspaper in Cape Girardeau reported a fourth death. Kentucky State Police said five people died in heavy rain Wednesday on Interstate 65 in south-central Kentucky when a tractor-trailer, a pickup truck and a van crashed.

[Shammu]

Israel Suffers Worst Drought in Decade

By LAURIE COPANS
The Associated Press
Wednesday, March 19, 2008; 3:25 PM

JERUSALEM -- Israel is suffering its worst drought in a decade and will have to stop pumping from one of its main sources of drinking water, the Sea of Galilee, by the end of the summer, an official said Wednesday.

Water Authority spokesman Uri Schor said Israel must start pumping more ground water from aquifers that are already depleted.

"The situation is very, very bad," Schor said. "As we pump more from the aquifers, the quality of the water will go down."

Israel's water problem stems from population growth and rising prosperity that has seen an increase in lawns and gardens, Schor said. In addition, this winter was the fourth in a row in which Israel had low rainfall, with only about 50-60 percent of the average in most areas, he said.

Israel's rainy season ends this month and will not begin again until October.

Water is a contentious issue in the dry region, and the subject of one of the disputes Israeli and Palestinian peace negotiators.

Despite the shortage, Israel will probably not reduce the amount of water supplied to Jordan according to a peace treaty between the countries, Schor said. Jordan's drought is much worse than Israel's, he said.

Israel has in recent weeks reduced the drinking water supplied to farmers by more than 50 percent, increasing their need for recycled water, Schor said. This weekend water officials will discuss raising the cost of drinking water in an attempt to cut household use, he said.

Israel has two desalination plants that supply about one-third of water needed by municipalities and households, Schor said. Three other plants, scheduled to be completed by 2013, will double that amount. The next one is due to be operational next year.

Israel Suffers Worst Drought in Decade

[Shammu]

Weary Midwesterners battle rising rivers

By CHRISTOPHER LEONARD, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 17 minutes ago

FENTON, Mo. - With more than a dozen people killed by floodwaters and rivers still rising, weary Midwesterners on Thursday weighed not just the prospect of a sodden cleanup but the likelihood that their communities could be inundated again.

Families in some areas have been forced from their homes multiple times in the past few years, making the routine of filling sandbags and rescuing furniture into a familiar drill.

"We've been through this before," said Michelle Buhlinger, who works for the school district in Valley Park in suburban St. Louis. "We're expecting the levee to hold up, but we don't want to take any chances."

The first day of spring brought much-needed sunshine to some flooded communities, but many swelling rivers were not expected to crest until the weekend in Arkansas, Missouri, southern Illinois, southern Indiana and Kentucky.

The worst flooding happened in smaller rivers across the nation's midsection. Major channels such as the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio rivers saw only minor flooding.

In Fenton, another suburb, Jeff Rogles joined dozens of volunteers to fill sandbags and pile them against downtown businesses near the fast-rising Meramec River, which was expected to reach more than 20 feet above flood stage in some spots near St. Louis.

"I think we have enough volunteers out here to stave off disaster," said Rogles, 27, who joined the effort because he remembered the devastating Great Flood of 1993.

Parts of Missouri got a foot of rain over a 36-hour period this week, causing widespread flash flooding and swelling many rivers. Five deaths have been confirmed in Missouri and hundreds of people were forced from their homes. Many families will return to find their property badly damaged or destroyed.

Valley Park is protected by a flood levee completed in 2005, but the projected 40-foot-crest there on Saturday would reach within three feet of the top of the levee. As a result, many homeowners, merchants and even schools were moving to higher ground.

Police in Pacific, Mo., went door-to-door evacuating about 50 homes in low-lying areas.

In southwest Indiana, Todd Ferguson has spent the past three days building a sandbag wall around his sister-in-law's Evansville home.

Pigeon Creek normally flows about 200 yards from Valerie Ferguson's house, but the water had crept to within 10 feet and was not expected to crest until Sunday.

In 2006, the Fergusons piled more than 1,000 sandbags around their home and still sustained about $1,000 in damage. This time, they don't have help from Valerie's husband, Tim, who is serving in Iraq with the Indiana National Guard.

"We won two years ago, but I don't know if we're going to win this one," Todd Ferguson said. "Only time will tell, I guess."

In Batesville, Ark., antique mall operator Marcia Weaver stood along the banks of the Spring River and watched as pieces of lives were washed away.

"There were large pieces of furniture, dressers, picnic tables from the parks. I saw a four-wheeler going down. Lots of canoes and kayaks that didn't have anybody in them," she said.

In the tiny community of Edgewater, Ohio, relatives helped Judy Lambert move out of her double-wide mobile home. Her detached garage had a foot of water in it from the flooding Great Miami River.

"We're getting all the valuables out and trying to salvage what we can," said Lambert's son, Sean, 34. The flood is "knocking at the back door."

High water also closed the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 for about 4 miles in central Ohio's Licking County, state police said. The floodwaters were receding by midday, but there was no estimate of when the lanes would reopen.

Levee breaches in southeast Missouri forced hundreds of people from their homes and left many major roadways impassable. The Coon Island levee near Poplar Bluff, Mo., broke around noon Thursday, and authorities were preparing to conduct water rescues if necessary.

President Bush declared a major disaster in Missouri on Wednesday night and ordered federal agencies to assist state and local authorities in flooded areas.

The Black, Big and St. Francis rivers in Missouri were also expected to flood significantly. Minor flooding was predicted on the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.

In Eureka, Mo., in St. Louis County, Patrick Butler was busy building a wall of sandbags wrapped in plastic he hoped would keep floodwaters out of a downtown building he rents to a screen-printing shop.

He said residents are nervous but well-acquainted with flooding in the low-lying Meramec River town.

"I think we'll have to just have a fishing tournament out in the street," he joked.

At least 15 deaths have been linked to the weather over the past few days, and three people were missing.

Searches were under way in Texas for a teenager who was washed down a drainage pipe, and two people were missing Thursday in Arkansas after their vehicles were swept away by rushing water on Tuesday.

Government forecasters warned Thursday that some flooding could continue in the coming days because of record rainfall and melting snow packs across much of the Midwest and Northeast.

Weary Midwesterners battle rising rivers

[Soldier4Christ]

Rising river begins flooding Missouri town

Rising, churning waters of the Meramec River overwhelmed a corner of this hamlet west of St. Louis on Friday morning, covering streets and swamping dozen of houses.

Throughout the day, the river -- swelled by a week of torrential rains -- is expected to rise another 8 to 10 feet. Most residents evacuated, having days of warning to prepare. Authorities floated through the streets in boats looking for people needing help but found none.

Unlike mountain communities in southwest Missouri caught unaware by flash floods earlier this week, residents here knew what was coming. They packed up most everything they own into trucks Thursday and high-tailed it to high ground.

"Noah had years to build his ark: we've got to pack and get out in a day," grumbled Jeremy Millfelt, who rented a truck and storage space to move his family's furniture and belongings out of harm's way in Pacific on Thursday. "But it's better to have the notice than to get out with water pushing at your door."

Roads were closed in and out of Pacific. To keep water from reaching other parts of towns, volunteers were sandbagging near downtown.

The river was rising not in inches but by more than a foot per hour, engulfing Millfelt's apartment past dawn Friday. Downriver, where waters are expected to peak to near-record crests by Sunday, residents and volunteers were furiously filling and stacking sandbags Friday morning.

The towns of Eureka, Valley Park and Fenton watched as the Meramec kept rising and was gushing downstream from Pacific.

At least sixteen deaths have been blamed on a powerful storm that dumped more than a foot of rain in 36 hours across several Midwest states.

Besides the Meramec, the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers were rising Friday to dangerously high levels. Levees protecting major population areas were expected to limit damage to only minor flooding. But farmlands along the rivers will be submerged.

In Chester, Mo., along the Mississippi River, water was creeping onto land. A statue representing explorers Lewis and Clark was covered in water from toe to nearly the head. .

In one neighborhood outside Eureka where the Meramec meets a tributary, a resident defiantly remained in his attic while his house flooded. Pleas from police to leave went unheeded.

In downtown Eureka less than a mile away, business owners sandbagged their door fronts and removed inventory and furniture from the floors.

"We know it is heading our way," said Ken Knapp, standing outside his wife's downtown screen printing shop on Thursday afternoon.

Despite being located on one of America's most flood-prone rivers, many of the towns like Eureka never mustered the political will to get the federal money needed to build a levee. Further downriver, though, in Valley Park, that city was keeping its fingers crossed, hoping that its new levee would hold.

After a flood covered most of the downtown in 1994, Valley Park officials lobbied the federal government and a 3-mile-long earthen hill was completed in 2005 for $50 million.

Built with about three-quarters of the cost from federal funds, the levee surrounds the town like a great wall and is designed to contain waters as high as 43 feet; 3 feet higher than the projected crest at Valley Park.

"Oh, it'll hold," said Mayor Jeffery Whitteaker. "This is our first big test and we are confident."

Residents strolled along the levee top on Thursday looking at the murky, rising Meramec.

"The question is, has the levee been given enough to time to harden?" asked Mark Engleman, who has lived in Valley Park for the last eight years. "The town says it will take five years to settle and it has only been three."

Peering down at the escalating tide, Engleman figured: "As long as there is no big swirling, we should do fine."

But some of his neighbors were taking no chances.

John Elliot was helping relatives move furniture, artifacts, kitchenware and electronics out of his aunt's home into a rental truck. They will transport the items to Elliot's mother's house on higher ground.

"Why take a chance?" Elliot asked. "How can we trust that the levee won't break when it hasn't been through this before? So we choose to be cautious."

At the Interstate 44 exit for Valley Park, more than 6 feet of water was in the intersection beneath the highway overpass. Transportation crews were feverishly sandbagging the interstate and putting up concrete barriers so that the highway would not flood in the coming hours.

Further west on high ground where City Hall is located, officials in Pacific said they admired Valley Park's efforts: it took some 15 years for study, funding and construction.

"They moved on that and we didn't have that push," said Pacific's city manager, Harold Selby. "Maybe this flood will get things moving in that direction for us too."

For now, townsfolk and the river are doing the moving as the Meramec was expected to crest at 31.5 feet by Saturday morning.

After packing up Thursday, some residents embraced each other and cried before taking their farewell glances back at their threatened homes.

"God help us," said Jim Seward, as he rested on his pickup truck before hauling the final few pieces out of his house. "We just have to hope the river goes back down as fast it comes up."

[Soldier4Christ]

Bush signs disaster order; includes entire 8th district

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Cape Girardeau) and U.S. Senator Kit Bond (R-Missouri) on Thursday announced that President Bush has signed a disaster declaration for 70 Missouri counties and the independent city of St. Louis following severe flooding in the state.

Emerson’s entire 8th Congressional District is included in the disaster declaration.

“It’s a pressing emergency situation we have, and I appreciate Gov. Blunt’s and President Bush’s quick response,” said Emerson, who told the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday that she intended an air tour of the devastated areas in her district today.

“The assistance program to help public and private response organizations is going into immediate effect. That program will help get resources to state and local governments and private nonprofit organizations which need assistance dealing with the mess left in the wake of this storm.

“In the coming days and weeks, we will be asking for an expansion of the declaration to cover things like debris removal, damage to structures and individual assistance,” she said.

Emerson said her tour of several Southern Missouri sites affected by the flooding has been extended beyond today to include Saturday.

“The President’s quick approval of a disaster declaration means help is on the way for our communities hard-hit by these floods,” said Bond.

“Times like this bring out the best in us - despite the wide-spread devastation, I am proud to see Missourians helping Missourians during a challenging time.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has left the door open to additional disaster designations pending further evaluation, which would potentially make other federal emergency programs available to affected Missouri residents. Individual Assistance and Hazard Mitigation assistance have been requested by Missouri Governor Matt Blunt.

Category B Public Assistance is for emergency protective measures. Emerson and Bond both have urged the Administration to expand the designation to supply assistance for debris removal and recovery assistance for buildings, roads, equipment, and flood protection measures as soon as feasible.

Individual assistance programs are pending review by FEMA and will likely not be implemented until a thorough assessment of the damage can be made.

[Soldier4Christ]

U.S. Spring Season Forecast: More Record Floods

Major floods across the central United States this week are a preview of the spring seasonal outlook, according to the National Weather Service. This week, more than 250 communities in a dozen states are experiencing flood conditions.

Several factors will contribute to above-average likelihood of flooding, including record rainfall in some states and snow packs, which are melting and causing rivers and streams to crest over their banks.

After massive rains from Texas to Ohio over the past couple of days - more than a foot in parts of Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois - many rivers are flooding, with some streams and rivers heading toward record crests.

A flood warning is currently in effect along the Mississippi River for parts of Illinois, Missouri and Kentucky.

The Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau is still expected to crest at 44.5 feet Sunday despite levels being lower than expected north of the region. Flood stage is 32 feet. In Cape Girardeau, crews are racing to close the big steel flood gates that safeguard the town from the rising river.

Residents are packing up and moving to higher ground, a Cape Girardeau nursing home has been evacuated, and the American Red Cross has opened five shelters for flood victims. Many highways are closed, gravel county roads are scoured into huge potholes, and many small bridges have been destroyed.

Missouri Governor Matt Blunt thanked President George W. Bush for his quick approval of expedited federal disaster assistance for 70 Missouri counties and the city of St. Louis as a result of flooding and severe weather across the entire central and southern parts of Missouri.

"I appreciate the President's quick approval of my request for federal assistance," the governor said. "Our emergency responders have acted heroically in their efforts to assist the flood victims. This federal assistance will be very helpful in addition to the many state actions we have taken this week to assist Missourians impacted by this devastating flooding."

Widespread flooding in Arkansas has washed out some highways and led to evacuations in some areas, said a spokesman for the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management.

Some residents of southern Illinois had to evacuate. In Marion, Illinois, firefighters used their own fishing boats to rescue residents.

Across the entire flood zone, 13 people have died this week.

National Weather Service forecasters warned of the potential for the current major flood event a week in advance and began working with emergency managers to prepare local communities for the impending danger.

"We expect rains and melting snow to bring more flooding this spring," said Vickie Nadolski, deputy director of the National Weather Service, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA.

"Americans should be on high alert to flood conditions in your communities," said Nadolski. "Arm yourselves with information about how to stay safe during a flood and do not attempt to drive on flooded roadways - remember to always turn around, don't drown."

Nadolski called on local emergency management officials to continue preparations for a wet spring and focus on public education to ensure heightened awareness of the potential for dangerous local conditions.

Above-normal flood potential is evident in much of the Mississippi River basin, the Ohio River basin, the lower Missouri River basin, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, most of New York, all of New England, and portions of the West, including Colorado and Idaho.

Heavy winter snow combined with recent rain indicates parts of Wisconsin and Illinois should see minor to moderate flooding, with as much as a 20 to 30 percent chance of major flooding on some rivers in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.

Current snow depth in some areas of upstate New York and New England is more than a foot greater than usual for this time of the year, which increases the potential for flooding in the Connecticut River Valley.

Locations in the mountains of Colorado and Idaho have 150 to 200 percent of average water contained in snowpack leading to a higher than normal flood potential.

Snowfall has been normal or above normal across most of the West this winter, however, preexisting dryness in many areas will prevent most flooding in this region, according to the National Weather Service. Runoff from snow pack is expected to improve stream flows compared to last year for the West.

The current heavy rains have been good for parched areas of the Southeast, caught in the grip of record drought for several years.

Although some reservoirs are unlikely to recover before summer, the drought outlook indicates continued general improvement in the region. On the U.S. Drought Monitor, extreme drought coverage dropped from nearly 50 percent in mid-December to less than 20 percent in the Southeast for March.

Overall, the Southeast had near-average rainfall during the winter with some areas wetter than average. Nevertheless, lingering water supply concerns and water restrictions continue in parts of the region.

Drought across the West is not forecast to ease off. "We expect drought to continue in parts of the southern Plains despite some recent heavy rain," the National Weather Service said.

Parts of Texas received less than 25 percent of normal rainfall in the winter, leading 165 counties to enact burn bans by mid-March. Seasonal forecasts for warmth and dryness suggest drought will expand northward and westward this spring.

During the spring season, weather can change quickly from drought to flooding to severe weather, including outbreaks of tornadoes, said the weather service.

[Soldier4Christ]

Water level climbing in flood-weary Midwest
Situation expected to worsen – Chicago area could see 9 inches of snow

Flooding from rainstorms blamed for at least 16 deaths threatened to worsen Friday, with many Midwestern rivers over their banks for more than a day already and the water level climbing.

To the north, a fresh snowstorm blew into the Chicago area, prompting authorities to cancel flights protectively. Forecasters said the storm could leave as much as 9 inches of heavy snow in the region.

A blizzard warning remained in effect in northern Maine, where fierce winds had already scattered a foot or more of snow.
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“Even though it was spring yesterday, we still have winter on our doorstep,” spokeswoman Ginny Joles of Maine Public Service Co., northern Maine’s major electric company, said Friday.

Swelling rivers could spell weekend woes
Thursday, the first day of spring, brought much-needed sunshine to some flooded communities, but many swelling rivers were not expected to crest until the weekend in Arkansas, Missouri, southern Illinois, southern Indiana and Kentucky.

The worst flooding happened in smaller rivers across the nation’s midsection. Major channels such as the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio rivers saw only minor flooding.

In Fenton, a St. Louis suburb, Jeff Rogles joined dozens of volunteers to fill sandbags and pile them against downtown businesses near the fast-rising Meramec River, which was expected to reach more than 20 feet above flood stage in some spots.

“I think we have enough volunteers out here to stave off disaster,” said Rogles, 27, who joined the effort because he remembered the devastating Great Flood of 1993.

Parts of Missouri got a foot of rain over a 36-hour period this week, causing widespread flash flooding and swelling many rivers. Five deaths have been confirmed in Missouri and hundreds of people were forced from their homes. Many families will return to find their property badly damaged or destroyed.

Valley Park is protected by a flood levee completed in 2005, but the projected 40-foot-crest there on Saturday would reach within three feet of the top of the levee. As a result, many homeowners, merchants and even schools were moving to higher ground.

Door-to-door evacuations
Police in Pacific, Mo., went door-to-door evacuating about 50 homes in low-lying areas.

In southwest Indiana, Todd Ferguson has spent most of the week building a sandbag wall around his sister-in-law’s Evansville home. Pigeon Creek normally flows about 200 yards from Valerie Ferguson’s house, but the water had crept to within 10 feet and was not expected to crest until Sunday.

In 2006, the Fergusons piled more than 1,000 sandbags around their home and still sustained about $1,000 in damage. This time, they don’t have help from Valerie’s husband, Tim, who is serving in Iraq with the Indiana National Guard.

“We won two years ago, but I don’t know if we’re going to win this one,” Todd Ferguson said. “Only time will tell, I guess.”

In Batesville, Ark., antique mall operator Marcia Weaver stood along the banks of the Spring River and watched as pieces of lives were washed away.

“There were large pieces of furniture, dressers, picnic tables from the parks. I saw a four-wheeler going down. Lots of canoes and kayaks that didn’t have anybody in them,” she said.

‘Trying to salvage what we can’
In the tiny community of Edgewater, Ohio, relatives helped Judy Lambert move out of her double-wide mobile home. Her detached garage had a foot of water in it from the flooding Great Miami River.

“We’re getting all the valuables out and trying to salvage what we can,” said Lambert’s son, Sean, 34. The flood is “knocking at the back door.”

Levee breaches in southeast Missouri forced hundreds of people from their homes and left many major roadways impassable.

In Eureka, Mo., in St. Louis County, Patrick Butler was busy building a wall of sandbags wrapped in plastic he hoped would keep floodwaters out of a downtown building he rents to a screen-printing shop. He said residents are nervous but well-acquainted with flooding in the low-lying Meramec River town.

“I think we’ll have to just have a fishing tournament out in the street,” he joked.

At least 2 people still missing
At least 16 deaths have been linked to the weather over the past few days, and at least two people were missing.

Searchers in Texas recovered a body Thursday in waist-deep water that matched the description of a teenager who was washed down a drainage pipe, but hadn’t confirmed it was him. Two people were missing Thursday in Arkansas after their vehicles were swept away by rushing water Tuesday.

Government forecasters warned that some flooding could continue in the coming days because of record rainfall and melting snow packs across much of the Midwest and Northeast.

[Shammu]

Arkansas Prepares for Worst Flooding in 25 Years
Midwest Continues to Struggle With Cresting Rivers
By MIKE VON FREMD, COLE KAZDIN AND IMAEYEN IBANGA

March 24, 2008 —

Neglected Arkansas levees proved no match for torrential rains that are poised to cause the worst flooding the state has seen in a quarter century.

The Black River sliced through a 60-year-old levee before emergency workers could stem the tide with a mountain of sandbags Saturday, according to The Associated Press.

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe declared 35 counties disaster areas and forecasters warned residents along the White River, despite minimal rain in the forecast.

"You may be wondering why we issued a flash flood watch in eastern Arkansas when there is little to no rain in the forecast," John Robinson of the National Weather Service in North Little Rock wrote Sunday in an e-mail to reporters, according to the AP. "There will be water going into areas where people have not seen it before, and may not be expecting to see high water."

Officials warned that the Black and White rivers may not crest until Wednesday and that it remains too dangerous for many residents to return to their evacuated homes.

"It's kind of hard when things happen so fast. You cannot think, but we have our lives and I guess that is the most important thing," said 72-year-old Clara Gabrielsen, who had to be evacuated from her nursing home because of the flooding.

Many residents were forced to leave with little time to prepare.

"It was pretty hectic when we saw the water coming up. We didn't have time to get anything," said Arkansas flood victim Tom Honeycut.

Arkansas emergency management officials have said early estimates for statewide damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure were at $2 million, though that figure was expected to grow, according to the AP.

So far one person is missing in the state because of the floods.

Midwest Continues to Fight Floods

Arkansas isn't the only region seeing flood-related problems. Last week rains submerged parts of the Midwest and this week, though the rains may have ceased, the rivers continue cresting and causing massive damage.

The destruction has been staggering, like near St. Louis where waters swallowed intersections and fierce floods swept homes off their foundations. The rushing waters even carried off one home and smashed it into a bridge.

Thousands of Missouri residents fled to Red Cross shelters and last week's flooding also affected parts of Ohio and southern Illinois.

Towns south of where the Mississippi and Ohio rivers meet in Cairo, Ill., braced for flooding expected in the next couple of days, according to the AP.

"They're not going down yet," John Campbell, operations chief at Missouri's State Emergency Management Agency, told the AP. "They're still rising."

Farther north where rivers are receding, many families are returning home to see what is left.

"We found people's family pictures in our yard yesterday. It's very hard," said Missouri flood victim Jane Nantz.

At least 17 deaths have been attributed to the flooding, wet roads and other weather conditions.

Arkansas Prepares for Worst Flooding in 25 Years

[Soldier4Christ]

Snow World - What a Year for Snow in Unusual Places

It snowed in places where snow is rare or unheard of, and many all-time snow records were set in other places used to snow in winter.

Since the article was penned last week, St. Johnsbury, Vermont came in with a new seasonal snow record at the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium with 139.1 inches, just eclipsing the mark of 139.0 inches set in 1968-69. According to Mark Breen the Museum’s meteorologist, records go back to 1894, and the observing site is essentially the same throughout the period of record. It has been an amazing winter there Mark noted.  The snowiest winter season - December, January, and March - with 119 inches, the snowiest December of record - 54.1 inches, the only winter with two months exceeding 40 inches of snowfall, and one of the longest continuous snowcover seasons (they still have 15 inches of snow at the stake).

Also all the way acrosss the country to the northwest, Spokane, Washington found their seasonal total move into second place all-time with 89.4 inches, second only to 1949-50. Stowe, Vermont is pushing 400 inches and Vail, CO 420 inches with another storm brewing. In fact in all these places additional snow is very possible before they put away their snow sticks.

In the middle, Minnesota saw a major snowstorm with up to 32 inches of snow that the Minnesota Climatology Working group wrote about, with another snowstorm on the way.

Across the Atlantic, the UK is getting an unusual April snow. Britain saw its worst April snowfall for nearly 20 years yesterday. Up to three inches of snow fell in parts of southern England and temperatures were below freezing in many places even at midday. The Arctic cold snap meant more misery for passengers at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, where British Airways cancelled more than 100 flights. Both Heathrow’s runways briefly closed for de-icing. Gatwick’s runway closed for two hours to clear snow, with 55 flights abandoned.

[Soldier4Christ]

Storm dumps more than 2 feet of snow in northern Minnesota

Residents of the Iron Range and other parts of northern Minnesota are digging out from under at least 2 feet of fresh snow.

The grand prize for the most snowfall goes to Virginia, Minn., where 32 inches piled up between Friday night and this morning. More than a foot fell in the northern Minnesota community of about 9,000 people since Sunday evening, the National Weather Service said.

Not far behind, 29 inches fell in northern portions of Itasca County, 27 inches in Cass Lake, 26 in Babbit, and 25 in Chisholm.

A spring snowstorm Sunday and continuing today caused slippery roads and travelers advisories and prompted the closing of Interstate Hwy. 94 westbound out of Alexandria.

And this morning, more than a dozen school districts in northern Minnesota have delayed or canceled classes, KARE-TV in the Twin Cities is reporting.

A winter storm warning remained in effect until 7 a.m. today in northeast Minnesota. The warning indicates that significant amounts of heavy snow, freezing rain and sleet are expected. The snow will make travel hazardous or impossible, the National Weather Service said.

The snow in northern Minnesota is expected to end by late this morning, but 1 to 2 additional inches of snow will fall before then.  The storm is likely to move into western Wisconsin later this morning.

Another storm system may bring more snow to the northern part of the state by the end of the week, the weather service said.

Other heavy snowfalls were reported in  Babbitt with  22 inches, Tower, 19, Grand Rapids 25,  Wirt, 22 , and Cohasset 23.5.   Lake Bemidji reported 13 inches, Wilton, 12.5, Zerkel, 18,  and New York Mills, 13 inches.

Snow was coming down at the rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour on Sunday afternoon.

A St. Louis County sheriff's deputy says "quite a few" vehicles were in the ditch all the way toward Hibbing Sunday afternoon, but no serious injuries were reported.

Heavy snow also fell in the Morris, Alexandria and Staples area of west-central Minnesota. Grand Forks reported 6 inches of snow

I-94 westbound out of Alexandria was closed early today. About 6 inches of snow fell in that area.

Today in the Twin Cities will bring a 40 percent chance of light snow between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The skies will be mostly cloudy and temperatures will hit a high of around 39 degrees. Tonight, temperatures should drop to about 28 degrees.

On Tuesday look for rain after 1 p.m. and temperatures should rise to about 44 degrees with winds of 6 to 9 miles per hour.

[Shammu]

Tornadoes Reported in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas; 1 Killed

Thursday , April 10, 2008

AP
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BENTON, Ark. —
A band of hail, heavy rain and twisters pounded Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma, damaging hundreds of homes, flooding roads and leaving thousands without power. The worst wasn't over for Arkansas, which braced Thursday for another hit.

Some residents in the small north Arkansas town of Leslie were being evacuated because of flooding and the threat of mudslides. Workers were sandbagging in places to keep flood waters at bay. Roads were flooded and people were being told to stay home.

The state already is contending with three weeks of flooding and the aftermath of 10 tornadoes that struck last week.

"It's just getting worse," sheriff's dispatcher Nola Massey said. "We're just trying to get everybody to stay home and not get out in it."

About 1,000 customers of Entergy Arkansas lost power and tornado sirens blared around midday in parts of central Arkansas, including Little Rock. Flooding also was reported in southwest Missouri as storms crossed the region.

"It's a two-headed monster this morning," National Weather Service forecaster John Lewis said Thursday, noting the flooding and threat of tornadoes in Arkansas.

The severe weather began in the region Wednesday. An apparent tornado with winds of up to 70 mph moved through west Texas, tearing shingles from roofs, shattering glass and flipping vehicles. Roughly 100 homes reported damage, mainly in Breckenridge, DeSoto and Hurst.

Bobby Russell, a 45-year-old maintenance man, said he was huddled with wife and two teenage children in their duplex when a falling tree punched a hole in the roof and collapsed a wall of his daughter's bedroom.

"We got the family together in the hallway, and then we heard a big boom," Russell, of Hurst, said.

In far east-central Oklahoma, Muldrow was particularly hard hit, with state officials reporting damage to more than 200 homes and businesses from straight-line winds. The city was pounded with heavy rains, marble-sized hail and sustained winds of more than 60 mph, said Officer Jose Flores.

"We've got flooding like you wouldn't believe," Flores said.

At least 180,000 homes and businesses lost electricity in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and more than 11,000 customers were without power in Oklahoma Thursday morning. Flooding in Oklahoma forced about a dozen state highways to close, and some schools called off classes for the day.

In Oklahoma, where some parts of the state had more than 4 inches of rain, two rain-related traffic deaths were reported. Three people were treated for minor injuries in Texas.

Red Cross spokeswoman Anita Foster said no injuries were reported from the high winds and heavy rain in the Dallas-Fort Worth areas. Two shelters were set up for residents who may need them, she said.

One hangar at Addison Airport, in the Dallas area, lost part of its roof.

The storm pelted the city with quarter-sized hail just after midnight with winds of up to 70 mph, said Hector Guerrero, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The service received reports of cars and a tractor trailer flipped over.

In DeSoto, just south of Dallas, about a dozen homes had roof damage and there was severe roof damage at a senior apartment complex and at a hotel with about 50 people in it at the time, said Kathy Jones, a spokeswoman for the city of DeSoto.

Stephens County Sheriff James Reeves said about 20 homes in the Breckenridge area sustained major damage, including some roofs and top stories torn away.

Six mobile homes were destroyed and two businesses were damaged, Reeves said.

In Arkansas' Saline County, residents spent a week picking up blown-off shingles and cleaning culverts after the 10 tornadoes roared through central Arkansas the night of April 3. Forecasters said Thursday's storm could be on scale with those last week, with up to 2 inches of rain possible in Saline County, and gusts up to 30 mph.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates at least 47 homes were destroyed by last week's tornadoes in Saline County. More could be affected as rainwater hits already saturated fields and lawns Thursday.

"It's just overwhelming — a flood on top of a tornado," Saline County Judge Lanny Fite, the county's top administrator, said Wednesday. "People have been working night and day trying to prepare, but there's not a whole lot we can do to prepare for rain in the magnitude they're talking about."

Tornadoes Reported in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas; 1 Killed